API Billing
Pay-per-search pricing with free caching
The SifterSearch API uses metered billing so you only pay for what you use. There are no monthly minimums or seat fees — just a small charge per search, with caching to keep repeat queries free.
Pricing Model
| Search Type | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Hybrid search (/search) | ~$0.001 per request | Always billed; includes AI scoring and summaries |
Quick/keyword search (/search/quick) | ~$0.001 per request | Free when served from cache (see below) |
Collections endpoint (/collections) | Free | Not metered |
Health check (/health) | Free | Not metered |
What Counts as Billable
A search is billable when:
- It is a hybrid search (
POST /api/v1/search) — always billed regardless of cache. - It is a quick search (
POST /api/v1/search/quick) with a query not seen in the last 15 minutes.
A search is not billable when:
- The same keyword query was already made within the last 15 minutes (cache hit).
- The request is made by an admin account (admin users have free unlimited access).
Cache Behavior
Quick/keyword searches are cached for 15 minutes by query string. If you (or any other API key on your account) make the same keyword query within that window, the cached result is returned at no charge. This makes typeahead, autocomplete, and repeated lookups essentially free.
Hybrid searches use AI analysis on each call and are not cached — every hybrid search is billed.
Use /search/quick for high-frequency lookups and /search for research queries
where AI scoring and summaries matter.
Rate Limits
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Requests per hour (standard) | 1,000 |
| Max results per request | 50 |
Rate limit headers are returned on every response: X-RateLimit-Limit,
X-RateLimit-Remaining, and X-RateLimit-Reset. Implement exponential
backoff if you receive a 429 rate_limit_exceeded error.
Invoicing
Usage is aggregated daily and invoiced monthly via Stripe. You will receive an email receipt when each invoice is generated. To manage payment methods, download past invoices, or update billing details, visit the Stripe customer portal from your Settings → API Keys page.
Admin Access
Accounts with admin privileges have free unlimited API access. Usage is still tracked for monitoring purposes but is not billed. Admin status is set by the system administrator and is not self-service.
Questions about billing? Contact [email protected] or see the API Reference for endpoint documentation.